Braz J Phys Ther. 2013 May-Jun;17(3):236-43. doi: 10.1590/s1413-35552012005000088.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Brazilian women. In recent years, there has been great progress in and an increasing number of breast-conserving surgical techniques; however, immediate or late morbidity after surgery, in the form of functional impairment and pain, remains a significant clinical problem.
To investigate the relationship between late upper limb functional impairment and the quality of life in women subjected to breast cancer surgery.
A total of 81 women participated in the study, with the length of time since surgery ranging from one to five years. A survey of upper limb complaints reported by patients was conducted, and the questionnaires Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQC-30 and BR23) were applied.
The correlation between the DASH score and the length of time since surgery determined that the longer the time since surgery, the greater the difficulties in functionality of the upper limb (r=0.459; p<0.0001). A statistically significant correlation was observed between the DASH score and health-related quality of life.
Late functional impairment had a significant impact on upper limb function in everyday life and health-related quality of life for women who underwent breast cancer surgery.
乳腺癌是巴西女性最常见的恶性肿瘤。近年来，保乳手术技术不断发展且日益增多；然而，术后即刻或迟发性的发病率，以功能障碍和疼痛的形式，仍然是一个重大的临床问题。
探讨乳腺癌手术后上肢功能障碍与生活质量的关系。
共有 81 名女性参与了研究，术后时间从一年到五年不等。对患者上肢的投诉进行了调查，并应用了上肢功能障碍问卷（DASH）和欧洲癌症研究与治疗组织（EORTC QLQ-C30 和 BR23）问卷。
DASH 评分与手术时间的相关性表明，手术时间越长，上肢功能障碍越严重（r=0.459；p<0.0001）。DASH 评分与健康相关的生活质量之间存在显著的相关性。
乳腺癌手术后，上肢迟发性功能障碍对日常生活上肢功能和健康相关生活质量有显著影响。
